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Rubus bartonianus

Barton's raspberry, bartonberry

northern blackberry, northern dewberry, ronce à flagelles, whiplash dewberry

Habit Shrubs, 8–25 dm, unarmed. Shrubs, to 3 dm, armed.
Stems

erect, sparsely short-hairy, glabrescent, eglandular, not pruinose.

biennial, usually creeping, sometimes low-arching and then creeping flowering branches usually erect, glabrous or densely hairy, eglandular or sparsely sessile- to short-stipitate-glandular, not pruinose;

prickles sparse to dense, hooked, sometimes distally slender, 1–4 mm, broad-based;

bristles absent.

Leaves

deciduous, simple;

stipules lanceolate, 4–6 mm;

blade cordate to broadly ovate, (2–)2.5–4(–5) × (2.5–)3.5–4.5(–5.5) cm, base deeply cordate, 3–5-lobed, lobe apices acute to obtuse, margins coarsely doubly dentate, abaxial surfaces glabrous or sparsely hairy, eglandular or sparsely stipitate-glandular.

deciduous, some sometimes semipersistent, ternate or palmately compound, not lustrous;

stipules filiform or linear to lanceolate, 3–20 mm;

leaflets 3–5, terminal ovate or elliptic to suborbiculate, 3–11 × 2–7.5 cm, base broadly cuneate or rounded to shallowly cordate, usually unlobed, rarely shallowly lobed, margins moderately to coarsely serrate to doubly serrate or serrate-dentate, apex acute or acuminate to short-attenuate, abaxial surfaces with prickles on midvein or unarmed, sparsely to moderately hairy, eglandular or sessile- or short-stipitate-glandular along largest veins.

Inflorescences

1-flowered.

terminal on short shoots, usually appearing axillary, 1–3(–8)-flowered, racemiform.

Pedicels

moderately hairy, eglandular or sparsely stipitate-glandular.

unarmed or prickles sparse to moderate, retrorse to hooked, moderately to densely hairy, usually sparsely to densely sessile- or short-stipitate-glandular, rarely eglandular.

Flowers

bisexual;

petals white, obovate, (15–)20–25 mm;

filaments filiform;

ovaries glabrous, styles clavate, villous.

bisexual;

petals white, elliptic, obovate, or oblanceolate, 8–20 mm;

filaments filiform;

ovaries glabrous.

Fruits

deep red, hemispheric, to 1 cm;

drupelets 10–30, coherent, separating from torus.

black, sometimes dark red, globose to cylindric, 1–2 cm;

drupelets 10–40, strongly coherent, separating with torus attached.

2n

= 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, 56, 63.

Rubus bartonianus

Rubus flagellaris

Phenology Flowering Mar–May. Flowering Mar–Jun.
Habitat Dry, rocky slopes Woodlands, savannas, pine barrens, prairies, meadows, rock outcrops, disturbed areas, dry to seasonally wet soil
Elevation 300–400 m (1000–1300 ft) 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
ID; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; VA; VT; WI; WV; NB; NS; ON; PE; QC; Mexico (Coahuila, Hidalgo, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora)
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

Rubus bartonianus is distinguished from the other flowering raspberries within its geographic range by its erect, unarmed stems, relatively small, simple leaves with acute to obtuse lobes, deeply cordate bases, sparsely hairy or glabrous abaxial surfaces, relatively large flowers with white petals, and densely long-hairy, clavate styles. The leaves superficially resemble those of Acer glabrum or some species of Ribes.

Rubus bartonianus is most similar to R. neomexicanus but especially R. deliciosus. The species is known only from the Snake River Canyon of Idaho and Oregon.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Rubus flagellaris is extremely polymorphic, ranging from plants with low-arching (and later creeping) stems and relatively few prickles to low, creeping plants with abundant prickles. Individual plants in some years will produce abundant, arching, poorly armed stems, and in others creeping, well-armed stems. Prickle shape also varies in these plants both within a year and among different years. Local variants seem to readily intergrade with other variants; over the entire North American range of what would be known as sect. Procumbentes (Rydberg) L. H. Bailey [= sect. Flagellares (L. H. Bailey) L. H. Bailey], a continuum of variation seems to be common. sect. Procumbentes (Rydberg) L. H. Bailey [by Bailey as sect. Flagellares (L. H. Bailey) L. H. Bailey

Apparent consistent features of Rubus flagellaris are terete primocanes to 7 mm diam. near the base and presence of rigid, hooked primocane prickles to 4 mm. Primocanes that tip-root and are low and long-running are nearly consistent features of R. flagellaris. Flower number per inflorescence throughout most of the geographic range of R. flagellaris is one to three or, rarely, five; in the far western part of the range (as R. arizonensis [= R. oligospermus Thornber ex Rydberg, name illegitimate]) up to eight flowers per inflorescence have been reported.

Rubus flagellaris lacks pruinose fruits and stems and is similar in general appearance to the introduced R. caesius.

Rubus vagus L. H. Bailey is an illegitimate later homonym that applies here. Rubus longipes Fernald is an illegitimate name that applies here.

The following nothospecies names are based on putative hybrids involving Rubus flagellaris and: R. allegheniensis (R. ×boyntonii Ashe, R. ×fraternalis L. H. Bailey [based on R. ×fraternus Brainerd & Peitersen (not R. fraternus Gremli)], R. ×licens L. H. Bailey; R. ×ostryifolius Rydberg); R. canadensis (R. ×lepagei L. H. Bailey, R. ×rixosus L. H. Bailey); R. hispidus (R. ×ambigens Fernald, R. ×distinctus L. H. Bailey, R. ×elongatus Brainerd & Peitersen [not R. elongatus Smith], R. ×emeritus L. H. Bailey, R. ×furtivus L. H. Bailey, R. ×kalamazoensis L. H. Bailey, R. ×permixtus Blanchard, R. ×rosendahlii L. H. Bailey, R. ×segnis L. H. Bailey, R. ×varus L. H. Bailey, R. ×vigoratus L. H. Bailey); R. pensilvanicus (R. ×akermanii Fernald, R. ×darlingtonii L. H. Bailey, R. ×dissitiflorus Fernald, R. ×hypolasius Fernald, R. ×janssonii L. H. Bailey, R. ×largus L. H. Bailey, R. ×recurvicaulis Blanchard, R. ×rossbergianus Blanchard); R. setosus (R. ×alter L. H. Bailey, R. ×arcuans Fernald & H. St. John, R. ×biformispinus Blanchard, R. ×bigelovianus L. H. Bailey, R. ×bracteolifer Fernald, R. ×jacens Blanchard var. specialis L. H. Bailey, R. ×laevior (L. H. Bailey) Fernald [based on R. permixtus var. laevior L. H. Bailey], R. ×multiformis Blanchard, R. ×setospinosus L. H. Bailey, R. ×severus Brainerd ex Fernald).

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 9, p. 36. FNA vol. 9, p. 40.
Parent taxa Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Rubeae > Rubus Rosaceae > subfam. Rosoideae > tribe Rubeae > Rubus
Sibling taxa
R. allegheniensis, R. arcticus, R. bifrons, R. caesius, R. canadensis, R. chamaemorus, R. cuneifolius, R. deliciosus, R. flagellaris, R. glaucifolius, R. hispidus, R. idaeus, R. illecebrosus, R. laciniatus, R. lasiococcus, R. leucodermis, R. neomexicanus, R. nivalis, R. niveus, R. nutkanus, R. occidentalis, R. odoratus, R. parviflorus, R. parvifolius, R. pascuus, R. pedatus, R. pensilvanicus, R. phoenicolasius, R. pubescens, R. repens, R. saxatilis, R. setosus, R. spectabilis, R. trivialis, R. ulmifolius, R. ursinus, R. vestitus
R. allegheniensis, R. arcticus, R. bartonianus, R. bifrons, R. caesius, R. canadensis, R. chamaemorus, R. cuneifolius, R. deliciosus, R. glaucifolius, R. hispidus, R. idaeus, R. illecebrosus, R. laciniatus, R. lasiococcus, R. leucodermis, R. neomexicanus, R. nivalis, R. niveus, R. nutkanus, R. occidentalis, R. odoratus, R. parviflorus, R. parvifolius, R. pascuus, R. pedatus, R. pensilvanicus, R. phoenicolasius, R. pubescens, R. repens, R. saxatilis, R. setosus, R. spectabilis, R. trivialis, R. ulmifolius, R. ursinus, R. vestitus
Synonyms R. aboriginum, R. alacer, R. alius, R. almus, R. apogaeus, R. aptatus, R. arenicola, R. arizonensis, R. armatus, R. arundelanus, R. arundelanus var. jecklyanus, R. ashei, R. austrinus, R. baileyanus, R. bollianus, R. bonus, R. botruosus, R. bretonis, R. brevipedalis, R. cacaponensis, R. camurus, R. cathartium, R. celer, R. census, R. centralis, R. clairbrownii, R. clandestinus, R. clarus, R. coloniatus, R. complex, R. conabilis, R. connixus, R. cordialis, R. cordifrons, R. currulis, R. curtipes, R. deamii, R. decor, R. depavitus, R. dives, R. eflagellaris, R. enslenii, R. exemptus, R. exsularis, R. fandus, R. fecundus, R. felix, R. ferrofluvius, R. flagellaris var. almus, R. flagellaris var. occidualis, R. foliaceus, R. folioflorus, R. grimesii, R. hancinianus, R. housei, R. ignarus, R. imperiorum, R. indianensis, R. iniens, R. injunctus, R. inobvius, R. invisus, R. ithacanus, R. jactus, R. jaysmithii, R. jaysmithii var. angustior, R. kentuckiensis, R. lassus, R. leviculus, R. mainensis, R. maltei, R. maniseesensis, R. meracus, R. michiganensis, R. minnesotanus, R. multifer, R. mundus, R. nefrens, R. obsessus, R. obvius, R. occidualis, R. particeps, R. particularis, R. pernagaeus, R. pityophilus, R. plexus, R. plicatifolius, R. profusiflorus, R. pronus, R. redundans, R. rhodophyllus, R. roribaccus, R. rosagnetis, R. russeus, R. sailori, R. sanfordii, R. satis, R. scambens, R. schoolcraftianus, R. sewardianus, R. steelei, R. subinnoxius, R. temerarius, R. tetricus, R. uvidus, R. vagus, R. vixalacer, R. whartoniae
Name authority M. Peck: Rhodora 36: 267. (1934) Willdenow: Enum. Pl., 549. (1809)
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